This Character's Absence From 'Law & Order: SVU' Points to a Larger Issue Within the Show
Noah's return to SVU is a reminder that the show has strayed away from the personal element that made the show so special in the first place.
Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 26, Episode 20.When Law & Order: Special Victims Unitfirst began, it was simply a spin-off of the mothership series Law & Order meant to focus on the sex crimes unit. And for the first season, that’s how it remained, but as early as Season 2, SVU began to delve deeper into its characters and explore their lives outside of the job. The main focus being Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler’s (Christopher Meloni) personal lives, of course, with certain cases intertwining into their storylines. SVU was already tasked with heavy cases, so the added personal element allowed the show to really get under the audience's skin and stake its claim. It’s not always comfortable, but it’s important, and the stories that SVU has continuously told over the years have made it a mainstay piece of television.
